Project Grant H79SM085715

REDUCING ASIAN MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES (RAMHD) - THE MIDWEST ASIAN HEALTH ASSOCIATION (MAHA) IS PLEASED TO REQUEST FUNDING FROM SAMHSA FOR ITS COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER (CMHC) TO IMPLEMENT A PROJECT ENTITLED: REDUCING ASIAN MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES (RAMHD), TARGETING THE ASIAN IMMIGRANT POPULATIONS IN THE METROPOLITAN CHICAGO OF ILLINOIS. THE OVERALL AIM IS TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY COMPETENT MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION SCREENINGS AND EARLY INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT SERVICES TO 400 INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE TWO-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD AND 200 INDIVIDUALS PER YEAR. THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC SPARKED A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. ASIAN IMMIGRANTS HAVE ALSO FACED A RISE IN HATE CRIMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IT HAS BEEN TRAUMA WORSENED BY TRAUMA. OUR TARGETED POPULATIONS FACE VARIOUS BARRIERS TO MENTAL HEALTHCARE DUE TO CULTURAL STIGMA, LOW ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS, LOW INCOME AND EDUCATION, LOW HEALTH LITERACY, COMPOUNDED BY THE "MODEL MINORITY" MYTH PRESSURE TO EXCEL SOCIALLY AND ACADEMICALLY. THE PANDEMIC HAS EXACERBATED ALREADY HIGH LEVELS OF ISOLATION, GRIEF AND FEAR AMONG ASIAN IMMIGRANTS. THOUGH DATA SHOWS SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE (SED) RATES FOR ASIANS DOUBLE THAT OF THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS, THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION RATE PALES IN COMPARISON. THERE ARE FOUR GOALS DEVELOPED BY THE PROPOSAL WITH THREE MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES UNDER EACH GOAL AS DESCRIBED BELOW: GOAL 1: INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF RAMHD PROGRAM TO ASSESS UNTREATED (SED), (SMI) AND CODS WITH YOUTH AND ADULTS TO REDUCE SUBSTANCE USE AND IMPROVE FUNCTIONING. OBJECTIVES 1A-1C: ON GOING AND BY 8/31/2023, CONDUCT IM+CANS/ASAM ASSESSMENT TO A MINIMUM OF 400 COMMUNITY MEMBERS; ESTABLISH CLIENT CENTERED TREATMENT PLANS FOR 100% OF CLIENTS WITH SED, SMI, AND CODS; PROVIDE ASSESSMENTS AND TREATMENT PLANS TO 100% OF CLIENTS ENGAGED IN CARE. GOAL 2: INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF RAMHD PROGRAM BY PROVIDING TARGETED, CULTURALLY COMPETENT EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL SUFFERING AND IMPROVE MENTAL WELL-BEING AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS. OBJECTIVES 2A-2C: ON GOING AND BY 8/31/2023, PROVIDE 100% OF INDIVIDUAL/GROUP TX AND/OR PSYCHIATRY; ENGAGE 100% CLIENTS NEEDING MENTAL HEALTH/SUD GROUP; PROVIDE 100% OF CLIENTS WITH ONE-ON-ONE CASE MANAGEMENT FOR TRANSITION PLANNING GOAL 3: DECREASE BARRIERS ACCESSING MH/ADDICTION SERVICES THROUGH INTER-DEPARTMENT REFERRALS AND WARM HANDOFFS TO IMPROVE HOLISTIC PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVES 3A-3C: ON GOING AND BY 8/31/2023, PROVIDE 100% CLIENTS NEEDING MH/SUD/PSYC SERVICES; PROVIDE WARM HANDOFFS TO 100% CLIENTS NEEDING PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES: LINK 90% OF CLIENTS REQUESTING SERVICES TO OTHER SERVICES. GOAL 4: IMPROVE PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH STAFF TRAININGS TO IMPROVE DELIVERY OF HIPAA-COMPLIANT MH TELEHEALTH SERVICES. OBJECTIVES 4A-4C: BY 8/30/2021, PROVIDE STAFF TRAININGS ON IM+CANS AND ASAM ASSESSMENT; PROVIDE WORKSHOPS/RESOURCES TO CLINICAL STAFF ON COMPASSION FATIGUE AND SELF-CARE; MONITOR COMPLIANCE TO ENSURE CONFIDENTIALITY FOR TELEHEALTH CLIENT SERVICES.